says most House Republicans would support a comprehensive bill that is considerably more robust in its trigger structure and enforcement provisions.

There you go, he thinks Tea Party people are toothless hillbillies who will swallow anything with the word "enforcement" in it.

Simpson wants badly to pass some of the piecemeal bills so that the House can go to a conference committee with the Senate, where he hopes the two chambers can strike a deal on a comprehensive bill.

Itching to go and sell us out.

But when I asked him about his colleagues who fear that the outcome of a conference committee would be amnesty for illegal immigrants, he was frank: They have a point, even if he disagrees with where theyre coming from.

IOW they are right about the conference committee, but they just don't fit in with the new Obama-friendly GOP.

Theyre legitimate complaints from their point of view, Simpson says. And I dont know how youre going to do an immigration bill that doesnt [somehow] deal with the 11 or 12 million who are here. Thats going to be a part of any final deal. And thats what stops them from wanting to go to conference, because theyre afraid that will be in any conference report. But I dont know how you do immigration without doing that, he adds.